The designers and architects featured in this issue talk about how they deal with problems and offer advice on designing your own home.

In this project there were several rooms I had a lot of fun with. The screening room allowed me to go outside my normal box, be playful. We upholstered all the walls in a red chenille; the ceiling is arched and painted a deep, deep purple; the carpet is a black-and-white zebra pattern; and all of the upholstery was done in red. Because it stands alone, it doesn’t have to be integrated. And I loved doing my kitchen. I had the opportunity to make two kitchens—behind the main one there’s a prep and clean-up kitchen. It was fun finding a way to make that work.

What’s the most difficult part about designing for yourself? What’s the best part?

It’s hard because you know too much—you can think so many things through, and there are so many choices nowadays. It’s so much easier for a client: You can give them three wonderful options, and they pick. Then again, as a designer, you’re getting all of this input from magazines and showrooms, so you’re really on top of it, which is great.

Did you use the Internet? What is your favorite online shopping site?

I use the Internet extensively. Because the house is in Mexico, without the Internet we’d be totally lost. I didn’t actually purchase furnishings on the Internet, but I did a lot of browsing. Some of my favorite sites are PierceMartin, Fine Art Lamps, Sirmos, Niermann Weeks, Michael Taylor Designs, Patina Stores, Restoration Hardware, Sunbrella Central and Casa Midy. We did a lot of online purchasing of electronics, projectors and even the heating system.

Did you stay within your budget? Or did you have a budget?

We had a budget, a number that we were going to work with. But building a house is such a creative process—as you’re going along, you see things and say, “Wow, now I could see that in this place,” and, “It really would be great if…” So we did make some additions to the original budget. But they weren’t overruns as much as they were choices. My husband likes to say that he gave me an unlimited budget and I exceeded it.

How does designing your own home change the way you work with clients?

I think it makes you realize how many decisions have to be made and how overwhelming that can be. There are a million details that go into building a house. I think a good designer understands what the client wants and brings them a culled-down list of things that they can make decisions on. If they’re comfortable with you and they like the sort of decisions you make, you can relieve them of some of that so that they can enjoy the project.

How did the current economy affect your design choices, or did it?

It really didn’t, because this house is already three years old. The good news is that we were building during an economic boom, and therefore one spends a little more freely than you might today. Of course, it meant that everything was full price, and every trade person was busy, and it was always a hassle waiting for the right painter because everybody was busy. Now you can negotiate prices a little better and probably get the people that you want more easily.

Did you incorporate changing technology into your home? If so, what were the challenges and benefits?

Because we were building in Mexico, where service for a lot of current technology is not always available, we were very careful about not getting too high tech and not being able to get a service person. But we took advantage of simple things: The whole house is wireless, so we can be on the Internet inside and outside. And then we have voice-over-Internet, so we have a New York City number that just rings in Mexico, and it keeps us in touch. A lot of our guests come from the States, so it’s nice that they can pick up the phone and get a dial tone in the U.S.

Were you finally able to try out something your clients were not adventurous enough to allow?

We did something that was unusual with the roofs. From the outside, you see traditional tile roofs, but on the inside of the house, there are totally different ceilings. There’s actually a two-roof structure. It was kind of an adventure, because you put up the outside roof and then you build another roof on the inside.

Did you arrange your schedule so that you could work exclusively on your home, or did you work on your home between other projects?

I arranged my schedule to be there a lot. I was on-site at least 50 percent of the time.

What advice would you give those designing their own home for the first time?

Take a big chill pill. Do as much upfront work as you can—really push your architect and designer to give you full sets of drawings and make sure you understand them, because the more time you spend on developing and studying it, the more you’re likely to stay within budget. You’ll also be less stressed by the decisions that’ll have to be made on-site. Getting as much of it on paper beforehand saves a lot of aggravation as well as money in the long run.